Laura Schaffer is the brand-new VP of Growth at Amplitude. Prior to this role, she spent over 10 years leading product management and growth teams at Twilio, Bandwidth, and Rapid. In today’s episode, we talk about the role of experimentation and data in growth, and Laura shares stories of big wins from her time leading growth teams.
She explains how customer insights helped her uplevel her career and how she (surprisingly) thinks about qualitative versus quantitative data. We wrap up our conversation by discussing where the best ideas come from and what you need to know if you’re selling to developers.
Product growth strategy
Taking risks and following your instincts in experimentation can lead to unexpected positive outcomes. Developing a growth strategy that specifically fits your product is key.
Take control of your career growth by finding and proposing new opportunities that benefit both customers and the company, instead of relying solely on traditional methods of impressing managers.
Good Friction
Good friction, such as helpful and relevant questions during signup, can increase user confidence and provide valuable data for segmentation. Considering the user’s mentality during the onboarding process is crucial for a seamless experience and a higher success rate.
Understanding the psychological state of users is crucial for effective onboarding. If something logically makes sense but isn’t converting, consider where the user is psychologically and adjust accordingly.
Your superpower is in really pulling those insights in and bringing them to life, staying close to the customer. There’s not a single leader or executive that isn’t going to be stoked to hear about valuable customer insights that highlight problems they might not be seeing.
Understand the customers
Building a deep understanding of customers and their needs can help individuals create new opportunities for career growth and advancement. Proposing new ideas and presenting valuable customer insights can lead to executive recognition and personal brand development.
Listening to customer feedback is crucial for business growth. Identifying pain points and implementing changes can lead to customer satisfaction, build trust, and ultimately drive growth for the company.
What product managers do
Engaging with customers, sharing expertise with colleagues, and leveraging experimentation and data can help build a strong personal brand and accelerate career growth while enhancing problem-solving skills and innovative thinking.
By asking questions during sign-up that align with users’ organic thoughts, businesses can provide comfort and challenge the notion that the product will be difficult, ultimately improving conversion rates. Understanding the psyche of users is just as important as understanding products and markets.
